NBC Trumps Rice With Anti-Bush Widows (Matthews suggests sodium pentathol for Bush)

[misunderestimated]

Who are the most important judges of the investigation of what went wrong before September 11? The media elite have provided one consistent answer on who is in the political driver's seat: the relatives of the victims. But not all of them.

In recent weeks, the networks have interviewed a selected set of 9-11 widows and other relatives, and most have focused the lion's share of their outrage at the Bush administration. Viewers at home might assume that a poll of 9-11 families would find they almost uniformly blame Bush more than the terrorists and want him to lose in November.

Minutes after National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice finished testifying, Tim Russert told Tom Brokaw live on NBC: "But the real issue will be, how did the families of the victims of 9-11 respond to this testimony? They have been the driving force for the commission, for information from the White House, for Dr. Rice to testify under oath."

On this morning's Today and for multiple segments in a 90-minute post-Condi Hardball special on MSNBC, only four widows were singled out as judges of Rice?s testimony. The four were celebrated in the April 1 New York Times as "nonpolitical." NBC has emphasized Kristen Breitweiser, who has appeared in four Today interviews in four weeks.

Mrs. Breitweiser insists that she voted for Bush in 2000, but has wildly declared that "Three thousand people were murdered on Bush's watch." Times arts editor Frank Rich also noted how she tartly complained that a Showtime 9-11 docudrama failed to display President Bush reading to school children "while people like my husband were burning alive inside the World Trade Center towers" because it would have been contrary to "Karl Rove's art direction and grand vision." She's hardly "nonpolitical."

In fact, these widows are liberal lobbyists against the Bush team, even as they claim to speak for all 9-11 victim families. Even Tim Russert linked the widows and John Kerry as two forces who will now press the White House for a complete declassification of the much-discussed August 6 presidential daily briefing. (One weblog even urges Kerry to pick Breitweiser for veep.)

In their front-page widow story, the New York Times noted that liberal Senators Ted Kennedy and Charles Schumer were advising the widows to demand Bush and Cheney also answer commissioner questions (and speeches) on live TV. Print accounts have also noted these widows tried to get the 9-11 commission's director, Philip Zelikow, fired for being too close to Condi Rice.

(NBC wasn't all alone today in the anti-Bush widow department. On ABC's Good Morning America, widow Beverly Eckert was charging "Everybody's basically been covering up, I think, for the administration, this whole Washington scene.")

In March, 9-11 relative Ernest Strada sounded a different note, telling Chris Matthews on MSNBC's Hardball that "anybody can be a Monday morning quarterback." Strada says he told Bush at a memorial event: "Mr. President, you are on the right side of the issues. We're with you 100 percent. Forget what the media says, the country believes in you." Is it any wonder he didn't get to debate the Kristen Breitweiser crew on this important occasion?

[mtbopfuyn]

CNN is saying questions were not answered. Those particular families didn't want answers and they already had their minds made up. If certain congressmen had asked valid questions instead of grandstanding (Ben Vinista, Gorelick, Kerrey, etc.) perhaps more answers would have been gleened. Each of those families are doing a great disservice to their loved ones. It's disgusting.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

I saw Matthews yesterday, and he was trying to get the WTC widows to say things against Bush. I hope his ratings go down to nothing.

[EllaMinnow]

I'm donating money to FR in the names of all freepers ready to boycott MSNBC. Here's the thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1114089/posts

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Chris Matthews made the mistake of revealing himself yesterday, and it will be his undoing. I was furious with him.

[EllaMinnow]

He was horrible, just dreadful. I won't be watching him, or anything on MSNBC, ever again.

[tapatio]

Matthews is nothing more than a hack for whichever side will give him the time of day.He brings nothing of relevance to any show he has,and he may as well just interview himself,because all he does is lead the questioning and shout over anyone trying to answer him.Matthews is a complete nothing in the world of reporting.

[guitfiddlist]

Notice how the 'Rats, just like the unbelievably undecorous peanut gallery at the hearings, get all yipping and yapping in chorus about some trumped-up accusation, until they check the polls, then lapse into momentary silence....."Well, that didn't work, what else we got in our diaper bin?"

And you never again hear about these past 'Rat attacks, about subjects that were of such OVERRIDING concern to them at the time.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

The worst part was the way he exploited the widows to further his own Democrat, partisan agenda. I noticed when MSNBC replayed their comments, it was without his questioning that encouraged those anti-Bush comments. I really don't blame the widows because they've been through HELL. What kinds of ratings does MSNBC get from Matthews? Not much.

[misunderestimated]

I hope you're watching or listening to the I-Man this morning. Matthews, who Imus has said he likes, is getting slammed, big time, for his performance on Hardball last night.

What did Imus say? Unfortunately, I missed it. I hope he gave Matthews a real Imus-pounding. Matthews was probably the most unprofessional yesterday as I've ever seen him. He joined the disingenuous democrat-pounce-Condi machine yesterday.

[misunderestimated]

Or allow our enemies to hear over the public airwaves that we so strongly believe our president to be dishonest that sodium pentathol is the answer. Can you imagine the signal that sends to our enemies?

.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

I also heard Imus trash Matthews this morning when I was channel surfing. Imus is having John Kerry on next. He'll kiss up to him, and the next time Imus talks to Matthews, he'll kiss up to him.

[guitfiddlist]

The worst part was the way he exploited the widows to further his own Democrat, partisan agenda. I noticed when MSNBC replayed their comments, it was without his questioning that encouraged those anti-Bush comments. I really don't blame the widows because they've been through HELL.

It is not uncommon for grieving survivors to affix blame in strange places - including on the departed...for dying. So they can be forgiven for their misplaced blame - but not the despicably manipulative partisan press.

[leadpenny]

I'm obviously and avid fan, but here is the thing about Imus: He tries to persuade, influence, cajole, etc., others in the media to take some advice. If they don't listen to him, he generally gives up on them.

Years ago (2-3) Rather was a regular guest on the his show and was quite entertaining. But, when Rather went back to his show he turned back into his condescending, pompous ways. Imus has nothing to do with him now.

Matthews and O'Reilly are two pretty good guests on the Imus program. He has pleaded with both of them to use the style, when they are his guests, on their own shows. In other words, he tries to get them to calm down and be more human. He has now given up on Matthews. O'Reilly is next. Imus doesn't even try with Hannity.

Right now Imus is bantering with Andrea Mitchell and still slamming Matthews. Great television. How anyone can go back to any other morning show (except maybe C-SPAN) after watching Imus is beyond me. Of course he just called Bush and idiot and Clinton a Bozo, but that's his sthick.

[leadpenny]

I think it's more serious than that. See my 133.

[leadpenny]

Thread jumping here. See above.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

I understand what your're saying, but I'm sick of hearing Imus say that Kerry is his guy, even if he doesn't mean it. Last night I ended up watching people buy houses on HGTV because I was "beyond aggravated" with news.

[misunderestimated]

Right now Imus is bantering with Andrea Mitchell and still slamming Matthews.

Yeah, I caught that. I also caught him saying Rice was attempting to "hoodwink" us, I heard him call our president a "nitwit" and Rumsfeld a "psychopath."

I don't consider that "calm" and O'Reilly is bad enough without picking up those habits. I've changed the channel.

[EllaMinnow]

I like Dennis Miller's show on CNBC, but, other than that, I'm through with news at night.
"Green Acres" is on TVLAND every night now - that helps!

[misunderestimated]

Same here. I've been attempting to wean myself from 24-hour news. I enjoy home improvement shows, the Science channel and Scrubs.

[leadpenny]

I know how you feel. I got off the web and watched Airplane II and other things on Comedy Channel yesterday.

I really believe that by being provocative, Imus somehow gets his guests (even future guests) to say things they wouldn't say anywhere else.